


Relationships are Stressful... I prefer DNA Strands

by thekroganwhisperer



Category: Mass Effect, Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Biting, Bonding, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, I'm Bad At Titles, Jealous Garrus Vakarian, Mating Rituals, Mild Smut, Past Kaidan Alenko/Female Shepard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2020-01-14 13:22:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18477088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekroganwhisperer/pseuds/thekroganwhisperer
Summary: Just a small piece of bonding fluff with a little smut thrown in at the end. Please enjoy my take on these Bioware characters that I love.





	1. Shepard Doesn't Do Relationship Drama

**Author's Note:**

> Just a small piece of bonding fluff with a little smut thrown in at the end. Please enjoy my take on these Bioware characters that I love.

Shepard closed out of her computer, wishing it was an older model. What she really wanted to do was slam something shut, hard enough to show her frustration.

Rubbing the back of her neck she stood up and began to pace. Boo, her Space Hamster ran back into his hidey hole. Even he could tell she was in a mood.

Something was wrong, had been wrong between her and Garrus for a few weeks and she couldn’t figure out what it was.

They still fucked like rabbits, her lips curled into its signature grin at the thought. Yeah, they still fucked, but it was everything else that felt wrong.  Their normal comradery was strained and the intimacy she normally felt with him seemed forced. Not on her part, she still loved him as much, if not more, than ever. He just seemed, distant.

The sex was great, though it had been a little rougher than normal. When he was done, he was done. Instead of post-coital cuddling now he got up and took a shower, it was starting to hurt. 

She’d asked him several times if anything was up, he always looked panicked and told her he loved her and everything was fine. The strain around his eyes told her he was lying. 

She didn’t know how to handle this shit. Relationship style emotions and drama, well they weren’t her specialty. Give her a shot gun and an army of husks and she’d blow their brains all over the wall. But this, this was way over her head.

So, she tried to research Turians, maybe it was a species thing and she didn’t get it.  He had been making new noises of late, the vibrations and tones of his subvocals changing ever so slightly.

She found nothing, or at least nothing she hadn’t already known.

Now it looked like she was going to have to ask people, goddamn it.

“Edi?”

_“yes, Shepard?”_

“Do you know anything about Turians?”

_“Can you be more specific? I know and can access a great deal about Turians. If you are interested in their-_

“Like their relationships and shit,” Shepard cut her off.

 _“Oh…no Shepard. Turians are very private. I can find you Turian poetry and Jeff has an extensive collection of Turian_ pornography,if _you'd like.”_

“Ugh… I so didn’t need to know that.”

“Was there a reason behind the inquery?”

Shepard paused and then decided, the hell with it, “It’s Garrus, he’s been acting off.”

No response for several long seconds.

_“Officer Vakarian has been acting restless the past few weeks. I have monitored him pacing in the battery as well as elevations in his temperature, above what is normal for his species.”_

Huh, well that was something, maybe?

“Ok, Edi, thanks any way.”

_“Might I make a suggestion Shepard?”_

“Go for it.”

_“Mordin or the Primarch may have more information.”_

“Thanks, Edi,” she really didn’t want to talk to either of them about this.

_“Logging you out Shepard.”_

Shepard bounced from one foot to another, biting her lip, trying to decide what she should do. Every molecule in her body wanted to ignore this, maybe it would go away. She sighed, deeply, but it wouldn’t.

Leaving her quarters, she got on the elevator and headed to the med bay. She’d talk to Mordin first, she really didn’t want to ask the Primarch about her and Garrus’ love life.

The familiar whooshing of the Medbay doors and smell of cold antiseptic hit her in the face as she walked in. Eve sat on a bed near the AI core and Mordin was doing, well who knew? He hummed to himself and she couldn’t help but smile. Mordin and his damn patter songs.

“Busy Shepard, what do you need?” he said.

Eve looked up, “Doctor, maybe you could spare some time?”

Mordin spun around and looked at her, “face flushed, elevated heart rate. Nervous about something? Talking to me? Can’t be…Ah talking to me about sensitive subject?” He peered at her closer, “Need cream for…. Chafing?”

“No, ugh” she coughed, “damn Mordin…Just no. I need to ask you what you know about Turians.”

“Quite a lot, know quite a lot about many species and many things.”

“Garrus has been acting, out of sorts recently.”

“Describe out of sorts.”

So she did, she told him all the things that had been bothering her until he cut her off with a hand gesture. Eve chuckled from where she sat and Shepard stared at her, what was funny?

“Ah, I see. Confusion. Humans do not bond like Turians.”

“Commander, I believe Garrus wants to mate with you. Krogan men are similar. Of course, he couldn’t just tell you what he wants, typical male,” Eve said.

“He wants to mate with me? Why wouldn’t he just tell me that?” The ache between her shoulder blades increased.

“Embarrassment, not sure how you would take it. Turian bonding ritual is…. intense. And…” Mordin paused and gave her a hard stare, “for life.”

“Tell me what goes on in a Turian bonding ritual.”  She relaxed a little, this she could work with. She'd long thought of asking Garrus to marry her. 

“Many things, some clan based, some species based. Not sure of Vakarian rituals. Bite mark, yes, scent marking-

“Which he’s already done, I could smell him on you the first time we met,” Eve interrupted.

Mordin hemmed and hummed, rocking on his heels, “yes yes, scent already. Probably formal request for you to join clan, tattoo. Public claiming. All very serious.”

“Ok, that all sounds less painful than the huge wedding my mother would want to throw me,” Shepard said, going over Mordin’s words.

“Quite preferable, yes.”

“Ummm, so” god this was mortifying, “what should I do? I mean I’ve asked him and he wont tell me what’s wrong.”

“No idea, relationships stressful, prefer DNA strands.”

“Doctor,” Eve groaned. She got down off the table and slowly made her way over to Shepard, “Turian males are too much like Krogan males. Especially once they decide on a female they want. He is struggling with his inner self, the primitive side of his nature. Exploit this weakness to get the desired results.”

Shepard frowned as she turned Eve’s words over in her mind.

“Ah, experiment, yes, yes, might work Shepard. Jealousy very primitive, very instinctual. Might work with public claiming aspect. Now, you must go, very busy, much work to do. Need sample from Wrex.”

Eve  chortled low in her throat and went back to her bed, “Good luck Commander.”

 


	2. Why are you Making this So Difficult?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Public Claiming Ritual

Shepard thought long and hard about everything she'd learned and decided that using the Turian need for public claiming would probably be in her best interest. She didn't like jealousy, not as a rule. It made her grumpy.

However, it was worth a shot. She was desperate. She tried one last time to talk to Garrus, to get him to open up to her and he shot her down with a quick, "Can this wait Shepard? I'm in the middle of some calibrations."

So that evening she'd told him not to bother coming to her quarters that she needed some alone time. She heard the hurt in his voice over her Omi-Tool, but she had a plan and it had to be put in motion. Shepard also didn't like to use people. She considered asking James to help her, but the amount of ridicule her imagination created wasn't worth it. In the end, she decided the quickest way to the outcome she wanted was Kaiden. He'd been sniffing around her like a dog in heat since he got back aboard the Normandy. She'd already turned him down a few times. They'd shared a one night stand years ago and the fool thought he'd found true love.

Shepard waited, she waited until night shift when she knew Kaiden and James played Poker when she knew Garrus took a break to find something to eat and drink more Kava. She took a shower, leaving her hair wet to dry naturally, long and curly. She drank a few beers for courage and threw on her N7 night shorts and a tight tank top, pulled on her NZ hoodie and went to the elevator. She wanted to look tussled and rosy-cheeked, not obviously sexy and figured this was her best bet. Everyone knew she had insomnia, damn window, and it wasn't unusual to find her barefooted in her pajama's wandering the crew deck. What was abnormal was the short shorts and the hair down, the flush to her cheeks, and the brightness the alcohol had given her eyes, all new.

When the elevator reached the crew desk she flipped off the memorial wall, as was her custom. She hated the damn thing. Just another reminder of everything the Reapers had taken from them. The sentiment was lovely, but the need for it at all cause fury to burble in her stomach.

"Ah Shepard, I didn't think you'd be down here," Garrus said. He stood, very still, in the kitchen. Gripping a steaming cup of Kava. His mandibles flared as he watched her and he took a hesitant step forward.

"Oh, Hey Garrus, just meeting up with Kaiden for poker."

"You never play poker with Kaiden," Garrus said, slowly, a low sound coming from his throat.

If she'd been a Turian woman, what would that have said to her? "I felt the need for company."

"That's not what you said earlier."

She let it hang in the air, the unspoken; _maybe just not your company_. Finally, she cleared her throat, heart racing a mile a minute, "See ya Garrus."

Maybe he called her name as she walked away, but she ignored it and went into the lounge. Both men looked up when she approached.

"Hey, Lola! Can't sleep? You're more than welcome to join us!" James said she could tell he was already a little drunk. 

"Sure, Kaiden you drinking anything?" She asked, going to the bar.

"Yeah, but I can.." He got up and rushed to the bar, getting there before her. She sat at one of the bar stools and leaned over, elbows on the counter, face in her hands and smiled at him.

"Pour me whatever," she said.

He got out some Asari bourbon with a faint purple tinge and poured them each a small glass.

Shepard heard the door open behind them.

"Scars! Great, now it's a fiesta!"

She took her glass and raised it to toast. Kaiden clinked his glass to hers.

"To ummm the Normandy and the best Commander!" Kaiden said.

"To old friends," she practically purred it. Kaiden blushed and they both drank.  Kaiden's eyes nervously darted over her shoulder and then back down to her soft smile.

She put her hand on top of his and gave a light squeeze, the growl from behind her sounded dangerous. It was working.

She turned around, she didn't stop touching Kaiden's hand and the man was practically trembling under her fingers. What she really wanted to do was apologize and roll her eyes. 

"Shepard," Garrus said, eyes narrowed, hands curled at his sides.

"Merde Lola, I thought Scars was your guy?" James asked confusion all over his face.

Kaiden pulled his hand from hers and retreated, scrambling back to his seat at the poker table.

"I am, isn't that right Shepard," Garrus said. 

"I guess," she pouted, finishing her drink without breaking eye contact.

"You guess? You guess?" Garrus sounded furious and dangerously close to losing control.  He stormed over to her and yanked her from the chair, she protested as he threw her over one shoulder and began to, hurriedly, walk from the room.

She winked at James as she went and mouthed "sorry" to Kaiden before the door closed behind them.

"Garrus put me down, right now," she demanded as he took her to the elevator and got on. 

He didn't respond.

"Garrus, I am warning you, put me the fuck down this instant. You don't own me," she said again, struggling to get away from him. He slapped her ass and still said nothing, but a low intense noise was coming from him, his subvocals going crazy, she wasn't sure what in response to. 

Finally, they reached her quarters, he strode in a dumped her on the bed.

"What the hell was that Shepard. First, you don't want to see me and then I catch you flirting with Kaiden?" 

She moved to the center of the bed, sitting criss-cross and smoothed back her hair, "I don't know what you're talking about Garrus. I do know that was a great way to make sure everyone on this ship knows, by morning, you think I belong to you."

She let the words hang there in the air for a few moments.

Garrus mouth opened and then it closed and the anger leaked from him. He studied her for a moment.

"I...I publically claimed you."

"Yes, now you want to tell me why the fuck you've made this bonding process so difficult?"


	3. Garrus Just Do It

"Bonding process?" He stuttered it.

"Yes, you heard me. That's why you've been acting so weird, right?" A second of worry filled her. Had she been wrong? 

"Please tell me you didn't ask the Primarch about Turian bonding rituals," Garrus sounded panicked.

"Of course not, Mordin and Eve helped me." This seemed to relax him.

"Oh, that's ok then. I'm sorry Shepard, for weeks the urge to bond with you has kept me up at night. It's been all I can do not to take you against your will." He sat down next to her on the bed. Seeing an opening she crawled onto his lap, straddling him. He sucked in a breath. Her fingers played along the sensitive skin of his neck.

"Who said it would be against my will?"

"I just...ah...I didn't think you'd want to." 

She kissed his neck, nipping, he groaned and his talons buried in her hair.

"I love you Garrus, of course, I want to bond with you. I've been worried sick you were going to leave me or there was something seriously wrong."

"Spirits Shepard, I'm sorry. Of course, that's what you thought." 

"So tell me Garrus, what do we need to do? When we do the final push for the Reapers... I ..." This was harder than she thought it would be, "I don't want to worry about legal stuff. I want you to take care of me, at the end." 

His grip on her tightened, "You're not going to die, I don't want you to talk like that."

"I'm not planning to die, but what if I'm in the hospital, or you are! If we are bonded they can't keep us away from each other. I love you Garrus, let's do this." She stroked and touched everywhere his plating was absent, working her hands under his shirt to touch his waist. He groaned and she could feel the plates under her sliding open.  She wanted this conversation over so they could have great makeup sex.

"I," he cleared his throat,"I already sent the bonding paperwork to my father. They aren't happy about me bonding with a human but he said he'd sign it and file so it's legal and binding."

Shepard laughed and hit him, " And what if I'd said no!" 

"Then it would be nulled, I hoped that wouldn't happen. We've done the public claiming bit and you'll need to get my clan marks tattooed. It doesn't have to be your face." His talons came up and pulled the hoodie over her head, then he began to caress her breasts, rolling her nipples until they were taut against the fabric of her shirt.

"You're not wearing a bra," his eyes met hers.

"I'm not wearing underwear either," within seconds he had flipped them and was pressing her into the mattress, solid between her legs.

"Also I would love to wear your clan marking on my face. I am all in."  With her words she felt him slide out of his plates, his erection huge and heavy pressing against her through both their clothes and he moaned.

"There's one last thing," he said, using a talon to pull down her shirt, his long tongue lapping at one of her nipples, forcing breathless moans from her.

"Whatever it is Garrus, I will do it."

"I have to bite you, a bonding mark. A scar that shows the world you love me, that I am yours." His tongue licked a path to her neck and his hands slid into her pants. Finding her slit, wet and slick with want. He slipped two blunted talons into her and began to stroke, rubbing and circling her little pearl until she writhed beneath him.

"Spirits yes Garrus just do it." She bared her neck to him and he growled, licking the salt off her skin and then he bit her, sharp teeth sinking into her flesh like butter. He lapped up her blood, biting her throat like a vampire with its first victim.

It was painful, but it mixed with the erotic sensations spiraling between her thighs. She mewled, thrusting against his fingers and pushing her neck harder into his mouth. Then everything burst around her as she came, flooding her with the force of her orgasm. Garrus released her neck and held her until her trembling subsided. 

He got off the bed and went to the bathroom. He came back with a small jar, "this will make sure it scars, is that alright?" All she could do was nod, still breathless. She could feel the tender bruised wound on her neck and it stung like a mother fucker, but she didn't regret it.

"Are you ok?" He whispered, rubbing the ointment into and over the wound.  

"Yes, but I will be better once you take your damn pants off and are inside me."

"Only you Shepard, only you," and he laughed.


End file.
